1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for using an internet telephone and a terminal device employed therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, an internet telephone for having a call through an internet network has become prevalent.
The internet telephone refers to having audio call in real time using dedicated software between internet terminals such as personal computers to each of which a microphone and a speaker are connected.
Such an internet telephone has an advantage that it can use a long-distance call or international telephone call at a low price at the expense of only connecting contract fee with an internet connecting dealer called xe2x80x9cinternet service providerxe2x80x9d and telephone fee from the public switched phone network to a neighboring access point.
However, where such an internet telephone is employed in general homes or SOHO (small office home office), as shown in FIG. 3, it is necessary to connect an internet terminal point (unit) IP such as a personal computer, which is separate from a telephone set TEL for the public switched phone network, to an NTT line TS which is the public switched phone network and hence to prepare two kinds of telephone set s.
FIG. 3 shows a case where a telephone set TEL for a public switched phone network and an internet terminal point IP are connected to an NTT line TS through a terminal adapter TA of ISDN.
The internet telephone cannot be employed if a called party is not provided with hardware and software necessary for the internet telephone. Further, even if the called party is provided with such tooling, if the internet terminal point on the side of the called party has not been booted, the internet telephone cannot be employed.
Therefore, in the above cases, when a calling party intends to make a call again over the public switched phone network, he must take up the telephone set TEL to make a call.
When the calling party wants to use the internet telephone, if the internet terminal such as a personal computer is not always on, he must boot the internet terminal point every time. Therefore, a general home or SOHO where the internet terminal point has not been always booted cannot make the internet telephone immediately so that the complicate operation for making the internet telephone is required. This makes it difficult to use the internet telephone.
The present invention has been accomplished to solve the problems encountered in the use of the internet telephone as described above.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an internet telephone system which can use the internet telephone without making the above troublesome operation, and can easily make a call by selecting a public switched phone network or an internet network according to the installing state of an internet terminal point and the booting state thereof.
A secondary object of the invention is to provide an internet telephone terminal device which constitutes such a internet telephone system.
In order to attain the first object of the invention, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, there is provided an internet telephone system comprising:
an internet network;
a CATV station connected to the internet network so as to broadcast a television program;
a public switched phone network; and
a terminal device connected to the CATV station and the public switched phone network and including a tuner section for receiving a broadcasting signal for the television program transmitted from the CATV station, an interface section for making transmission/reception of a telephone signal for the internet network and a switching circuit which is connected to the interface section, a telephone set and the public switched phone network, wherein the switching circuit selectively connects the telephone set to the interface section or the public switched phone network.
In the above internet telephone system, the CATV station is connected to the internet network, and the terminal device is connected to the CATV station through a transmission cable.
The terminal device receives the broadcasting signal (RF signal) transmitted from the CATV station through the transmission cable by the tuner section, subjects the broadcasting signal to prescribed video signal processing and audio signal processing and supplies the resultant signal to a television receiver connected to the terminal device.
In the terminal device, the switching means incorporated therein is connected to the telephone set and the public switched phone network such as NTT.
Where the call by the internet telephone through the internet network is to be executed, the telephone set is connected to the interface section by the switching means, whereby the transmission/reception of the telephone signal is executed between the telephone set and internet network through the interface section.
Where the call by the public telephone through the public switched phone network is to be executed, the telephone set is connected to the public switched phone network by the switching means, whereby the transmission/reception of the telephone signal is executed between the telephone set and public switched phone network.
In accordance with the internet telephone system as described above, when the user wants to use the internet telephone, by using the terminal device for the CATV the power of which is usually always xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d, he is not required to wait until the terminal device is booted.
A user can selectively use the internet telephone or the public telephone by a single telephone set. Unlike before, therefore, it is not required to provide the internet terminal in addition to the public telephone set.
Further, in accordance with the status of the telephone facilities on the side of the called party, the calling party can use easily properly the public telephone or internet telephone which is cheap in the calling fee. Further, when the calling party calls through the internet telephone, even the called party has not yet booted the internet terminal device, the calling party immediately calls again through the public switched phone network using the same telephone set.
In order to attain the first object, preferably, the terminal device comprises audio control means for controlling an amplification factor of an audio signal of the television program supplied from the tuner section when a telephone signal is supplied from the telephone set, interface section or public switched phone network to the switching means.
In such a configuration, where the call by the internet telephone or public telephone is executed, when the switching means of the terminal device is supplied with a telephone signal from the telephone set, from the internet network through the interface section or from the public switched phone network, the audio control means limits an amplification factor of an audio signal of the television program in the tuner section to a prescribed value.
In accordance with this configuration, during the call by the internet telephone or public telephone, since the sound volume issued from the television receiver is automatically reduced, the call by the telephone set cannot be impeded by the sound issued from the television receiver.
In order to attain the first object, the switching means selectively connects the telephone set to the interface section or the public switched phone network on the basis of a switching signal supplied from the telephone set.
Namely, the switching between the call by the internet telephone in the terminal device and that by the public telephone is made by a switching signal issued from the telephone set when the calling operation by the telephone set is done.
For this reason, the call by the internet telephone or by the public switched phone network can be easily selected on the side of the telephone set.
In order to attain the above object, preferably, the switching signal is outputted in accordance with a discrimination signal appended to a telephone number.
Specifically, the call by the internet telephone or by the public switched phone network is selected by inputting the discrimination code (e.g. number such as 1 and 2) corresponding to the internet telephone or public telephone when the telephone number of the called party is input to the telephone set.
For this reason, the call by the internet telephone or by the public telephone can be easily selected by simple operation of inputting the discrimination code on the side of the telephone set.
In order to attain the second object of the invention, there is provided a terminal device for an internet telephone system comprising:
a tuner section for receiving a broadcasting signal for the television program transmitted from the CATV station, the tuner section being connected to the CATV station;
as an interface section for making transmission/reception of a telephone signal for the internet network; and
a switching circuit connected to the interface section, a telephone set and a switched phone network, the switching circuit for selectively connecting the telephone set to the interface section or the public switched phone network.
The terminal device is connected to the CATV station, which is connected to the internet network, through a transmission cable. The incorporated switching means is connected to the telephone set and the public switched phone network such as NTT.
The terminal device receives the broadcasting signal (RF signal) transmitted from the CATV station through the transmission cable by the tuner section, subjects the broadcasting signal to prescribed video signal processing and audio signal processing and supplies the resultant signal to a television receiver connected to the terminal device.
Where the call by the internet telephone through the internet network is to be executed, the telephone set is connected to the interface section by the switching means, whereby the transmission/reception of the telephone signal is executed between the telephone set and internet network through the interface section.
Where the call by the public telephone through the public switched phone network is to be executed, the telephone set is connected to the public switched phone network by the switching means, whereby the transmission/reception of the telephone signal is executed between the telephone set and public switched phone network.
In accordance with the terminal device, when the user wants to use the internet telephone, by using the terminal device for the CATV the power of which is usually always xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d, he is not required to wait until the terminal device is booted.
A user can selectively use the internet telephone or the public telephone by a single telephone set. Unlike before, therefore, it is not required to provide the internet terminal in addition to the public telephone.
Further, in accordance with the status of the telephone facilities on the side of the called party, he can use easily properly the public telephone or internet telephone which is cheap in the calling fee. Further, when the calling party calls through the internet telephone, even when the called party has not yet booted the internet terminal device, the calling party immediately calls again through the public switched phone network using the same telephone set.
In order to attain the second object, preferably, the terminal device further comprises audio control means for controlling an amplification factor of an audio signal of the television program supplied from the tuner section when a telephone signal is supplied from the telephone set, interface section or public switched phone network to the switching means.
In such a configuration, where the call by the internet telephone or public telephone is executed, when the switching means of the terminal device is supplied with a telephone signal from the telephone set from the internet network through the interface section or from the public switched phone network, the audio control means limits an amplification factor of an audio signal of the television program in the tuner section to a prescribed value.
In accordance with this configuration, during the call by the internet telephone or public telephone, since the sound volume issued from the television receiver is automatically reduced, the call by the telephone set cannot be impeded by the sound issued from the television receiver.
In order to attain the second object, the switching means selectively connects the telephone set to the interface section or the public switched phone network on the basis of a switching signal supplied from the telephone set.
Namely, the switching between the call by the internet telephone in the terminal device and that by the public telephone is made by a switching signal issued from the telephone set when the calling operation by the telephone set is done.
For this reason, the call by the internet telephone or by the public switched phone network can be easily selected on the side of the telephone set.
In order to attain the second object, preferably, the switching signal is outputted in accordance with a discrimination signal appended to a telephone number.
Specifically, the call by the internet telephone or by the public switched phone network is selected by inputting the discrimination code (e.g. number such as 1 and 2) corresponding to the internet telephone or public telephone when the telephone number of the called party is input to the telephone set.
For this reason, the call by the internet telephone or by the public telephone can be easily selected by simple operation of inputting the discrimination code on the side of the telephone set.
The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.